Emilio Aguinaldo
1869 - 1964

(Amanda Chan)

Occupation
President of the Philippine Republic
Former mayor of Kawit
Leader in the Filipino Revolution

Position on Issue
Anti-Imperialist
The United States should take its forced out of the Philippines, so we can finally achieve independence. We suffered under the unjust reign of the Spanish, and we tasted liberation as the beginning of the Spanish-America War, but now, the US has proven that it has little interest in extending self-government to the Philippine Republic. I have trying to overthrow the Spanish for years. I have dreamt of it for far too long. This is the Philippine's best chance at seizing the liberty that we deserve, and I refuse to let it slip through my fingers. I wrote a book called The True Version of the Philippine Revolution, which outlines my perspective of the war and my motivations for fighting in it.

"The veracity of these facts rests upon my word as President of this Republic and on the honor of the whole population of eight million souls, who, for more than three hundred years have been sacrificing the lives and wealth of their brave sons to obtain due recognition of the natural rights of mankind—liberty and independence.”

List of Reasons for Interest in Topic
Member of Katipunan, a secret alliance that were planning to overthrow Spanish rule, operated as an alternative Filipino government complete with a government and cabinet
Forced to pledge allegiance to the United States after capture in 1901
Avid supporter of liberty and independence
The Americans proclaim themselves as supporters of liberty, yet when they are given the chance to bestow it upon a country in need of it, they tend to their prideful hearts first.

Works Cited
Aguinaldo, Emilio. University of Michigan. N.p.: Jeroen Hellingman, n.d. Gutenberg.org. The Gutenberg Project, 22 July 2004. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12996/12996-h/12996-h.htm>.
"Emilio Aguinaldo Y Famy." Loc.gov. The Library of Congress, 22 June 2011. Web. 09 Apr. 2013. <http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/aguinaldo.html>.
Wildman, Edwin. Aguinaldo; a Narrative of Filipino Ambitions,. Boston: Lothrop Pub., 1901. Print.